In recent years, so-called “location-based services” have become available. The location-based services offer services based on the location of mobile information terminals. In the location-based services, a mobile information terminal acquires location information periodically or in response to a positioning request from an application as a trigger, using GPS satellite signals.
However, for example, in the case where the reception of GPS satellite signals is poor, such as when the mobile information terminal is inside a building, even if GPS positioning is carried out, the mobile information terminal may fail to acquire location information, resulting in waste of power.
As a method for reducing power consumption, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2011-22115 discloses a technique for controlling a mobile information terminal so as to stop GPS positioning when a walk of a predetermined distance or greater is not detected, and to restart GPS positioning when a walk of a predetermined distance or greater is detected.